D23 Event Happening This Year
Star Wars fans have Celebration. Gamers have E3. Anime lovers have Anime Expo and Otakon. Comic-Con is a culmination of everything pop culture. So what is D23 Expo? In short, D23 Expo is the biggest Disney fan event of the year where many come together to celebrate their love of Disney and everything associated with it. This includes animated and live-action works produced by Disney, along with theme parks and resorts. As the umbrella of Disney now covers other fandoms, D23 Expo also brings news and announcements related to Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the biennual D23 Expo slated for 2021 has been postponed to September 2022. Do not fret just yet, Disney fans. Destination D23 2021 will be held in person at Disney’s Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida from November 19- 21, 2021. Think of it as a fandom vacation trip with like-minded people. The event was originally scheduled for November 2020, but was moved to November 2021.
Destination D23 being held in Florida this year will be a special one as it is also the 50th Anniversary of Walt Disney World Resort. Special events are already being planned and new Disney magic will debut at Walt Disney World Resort beginning October 1, 2021. One of the highlights include Disney Chairman Josh D’Amaro sharing what is new and what is in store for the future of Disney Parks around the world. There would also be presentations on the magic of Disney, taking the audience on a visual and audio ride through five decades of arts and music of Walt Disney World. History buffs would be able to dig deep into Disney archives in a presentation about how Disney World began and the many changes and transformations throughout the years. The fan favorite “Weird Disney” returns to bring the wildest and wackiest Disney trivia. This year, the program will focus on the weirdest moments of Walt Disney World. As a D23 event would not be complete without announcements and previews of upcoming Disney projects, there would also be a melodic celebration of the upcoming animated musical Encanto. Like other past D23 events, organizers have promised exciting and exclusive experiences like a pop-up shop featuring exclusive Destination D23 and Walt Disney Imagineering merchandise, special film screening, and a grand finale party planned by Disney+.
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For those who wish to experience the event in person, tickets for Destination D23 went on sale July 29, 2021 at 10AM PST and were sold out in minutes. This put the event on par with San Diego Comic-Con in terms of how fast the tickets go. Unlike Comic-Con, ticket holders are guaranteed seats to all panels and presentations. There would be no camping out for Hall H or Ballroom 21 at Walt Disney World Resort. For the unfortunate souls who were not able to grab a ticket, Destination D23 will live-stream select segments of the event on D23.com. More information including full streaming schedule will be posted at a later date. The kind D23 Team have put together tips for grabbing the golden tickets to future D23 events. They include purchasing D23 Gold Membership ($99.99 per year for individual plan) at least four days before the ticket goes on sale, having all personal and credit card information ready to go (as guests will only limited time to complete the checkout process), and coordinating with other D23 Gold Members to increase the chance of getting a ticket.
2021 has been a busy year for Disney thus far. Raya and the Last Dragon, Cruella, and Black Widow made their debut in theaters and on Disney+ with Premiere Access. Jungle Cruise, based on the popular Disney Parks’ ride, was just released at the end of July. Future Disney movies slated for release later this year include Shang Chi and the Legend of the 10 Rings, Eternals, Encanto, and Spider-Man: No Way Home (co-produced with Sony). Viewers were also treated to original Disney+ series like WandaVision, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, and Loki. Hopefully, there will be more opportunities in the future for Disney fans to come together to celebrate the fandom that began with a single animated mouse.
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Source(s): D23.com